All about Stitches East: I

All about Stitches East:
I just got back a couple of hours ago from Stitches, I got to spend the weekend helping sell at Lanaknits Designs, Hemp For Knitting. It was so much fun being there! I couldn't believe my eyes at some of the stuff I saw! I met several people from KnitU and the Knitlist, too, which is always fun! I was told by someone who was passing, that the winter IK was out, so I ran out of the booth to buy it, but couldn't find it of course, because it ISN'T out. And how did I find out the truth? The editor of IK (!!!!!) told me that the issue's at the printers! How crazy is that?

I didn't even spend much money (which is REALLY GOOD), I only bought a $9 cone of fuzzy, funky yarn from WEBS (which quickly became a set of pulse warmers, pattern here, the rest will be used for scarf/hat set for my DSis), a set of Bryspun DPN's, and a hank of 100% WW wool, which will become the felted entrelac Market Bag from Summer 2001 Knitters (finally getting to do this! Yeah!). I also came home with some chunky 50/50 Hemp/Cotton from Lana, which will become a purse, and some handpainted DK 100% hemp, in a beautiful bright rainbow colorway, which will be a nice accent scarf.

Complaint: I was charged TAX ON THE WOOL!!!!!!!!!! The vendor (who will not be mentioned, mainly b/c I forgot who it was) said the hank was $15, then asked for $15.90. This is the argument that ensued:

Me: I thought it was $15.
Her: Well, then there's TAX (in a "duh, don't you know anything?" voice)
Me: There's no tax on yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (exasperated voice)
Her: YES THERE IS. There's tax on practically everything!
Me: Well I've never paid taxes on yarn, I buy it all the time and have never paid tax, both in PA and in NJ, even when I buy it at WalMart!!!
Her: Well there's taxes on yarn, there is no tax on patterns or buttons (!!!!!!!!!) but there is tax on yarn. [emphasis added]
Me: Hum. I wonder if it's different here. . . I live in PA and I know I don't pay taxes where I live . . . OH WAIT! WE'RE IN PA!!!!!!!!!!!
Her: silence, waiting for money
Me: Ok whatever, it's only $0.90

I paid her, then quickly ran out of there, and back to my booth (we had NOT been charging taxes on yarn). I said to Lana, "is there tax on yarn?" she says no. So I ask the vendors across from us, they say no. I ask the vendors next to us, they say no. AND they add that the coordinators TOLD EVERY VENDOR THAT THERE WAS NO TAX! They said they'd been coming for years and never charged tax. Someone who was shopping there also pitched in with, "no, there's no tax." Another lady we were talking to said, "No, there's no tax in PA, there is in Vermont and some other states, but not PA". Mind you, I argued with this woman about the tax, told her I knew there was none, and she was RUDE and insisted. AND this was on SUNDAY, at 3:35 PM!!!!!!!!!! Right before the whole thing closed. So I'm sure she charged everyone needless taxes the whole time. I almost didn't buy it b/c she was so rude, but it was a good deal. I'm not so much mad at having to pay needless taxes, I'm more mad that someone would do business without knowing what they're doing. And then argue about it. GRRRRRRR All in all my weekend was great, and I have some new yarn to play with.